(AFP) Lawyers today demanded that the 10 Muslim activists held under a draconian security law be provided with immediate legal access.

"The Bar Council urges the detainees be allowed access to immediate legal representation and to trial in a court of law," chairman Mah Weng Kwai said in a statement.

They were detained last week under the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows indefinite detention without trial. At least five are opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia members.

Lawyers also called for the expeditious repeal of the ISA.

"The incessant use of the ISA with seeming complete disregard of other available statutory provisions in recent times can only serve to perpetrate a long trend of unjust detentions without trial," Mah said.

The chairman said the right to legal representation upon arrest and the right to trial must be available to all persons irrespective of their disposition to criminality.

Police ban

On Thursday, the wives of the detainees issued emotional demands for their immediate release, insisting their husbands are not involved in militant activities.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Monday defended the use of the ISA and denied it was a crackdown against the opposition.

The arrests came as PAS defied a two-week-old police ban on open-air public rallies and pledged to continue with its political gatherings.

Opposition leaders have voiced concern that the arrests were part of a massive crackdown against dissent.

Mahathir said police had evidence that the detainees received military training abroad and had returned to Malaysia to topple the government.

He claimed one of the detainees, who is a cake seller, had learnt to make and detonate bombs.

Radzi Abdullah, a lawyer, said yesterday that the 10 families were expected to file "habeas corpus" applications next week to win their freedom.

One commisioner with the official Human Rights Commission of Malaysia said: "Allegations have been made against them. So they should be charged in court as soon as possible."